Rainbow Wahine sweep Broncos

Hawaii pitchers Justine Smethurst and Courtney Baughman both set career highs in strikeouts to lead the No. 21 Rainbow Wahine softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Santa Clara, winning both games by 7-0 scores yesterday in California.

Smethurst rung up 13 strikeouts and held the Broncos (7-32) to three hits in the opener of the nonconference doubleheader. Brandi Peiler went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Wahine (37-8).

Baughman recorded nine strikeouts in a five-hit shutout in the second game. Tanisha Milca gave UH the lead in the third inning with a two-run homer to left field. Clare Warwick added a solo shot in the seventh.

Hawaii has won four in a row and 13 of its last 14 as the Wahine resume Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at New Mexico State starting Friday.

Water polo honor to UH's De Nooy

Hawaii goalie Meike De Nooy was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation water polo Player of the Week yesterday.

The senior made nine saves in UH's 10-9 upset of No. 4 California last Saturday. She leads the MPSF in saves per match with 10.57 for the seventh-ranked Rainbow Wahine. She had missed the previous three matches while playing in the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Australia.

UH (11-8, 7-3 MPSF) is fifth in the MPSF standings and has road matches against UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge next week.

Isle players in all-star game

James Kaopuiki (Moanalua '02) and Kaeo Lealao (Campbell '02) will play in the National All-Stars Bowl College Football Classic at Louisville, Ky., on Saturday.

Kaopuiki, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior outside linebacker at Iowa Wesleyan, will play for the Blue team while Lealao, a 6-2, 350-pound senior offensive lineman from Virginia Union, will be on the Red team.

Kaopuiki also will participate in the VSN Senior Classic for the Nationals at Platte City, Mo., on April 21.

Kahuku graduate Faimafili La'uli, a 6-0, 235 senior linebacker from Southern Oregon, will participate for the Americans in the VSN Senior Classic.

Kaopuiki also has been named to the Mid-States Football Association All-Academic Team. He is a psychology major and carries a 3.28 grade-point average.

Lau NWC golfer of the week

Emily Lau (Iolani '03) is the Northwest Conference women's golfer of the week after leading Puget Sound to victory and winning the NWC Spring Classic with a score of 78-80--158 on Sunday. The senior's effort earned her a spot on the 2006-07 All-NWC Women's Golf Team.

Willamette sophomore Whitney Ueno (Hilo '05) tied for third with an 83-82--165.

The other Hawaii golfers were Linfield freshman Brittany Johnston (Waiakea '06), ninth with a 176 and Pacific's Jasmine Ching (Waiakea '06), a freshman who finished 11th (180) and Lauren Yoshimura (Pearl City '05) who was 20th. The sophomore had a 190.

Vulcans fifth in PacWest golf

Goulding shot a final-round 68 to close the 54-hole tournament at even-par 216. The Vulcans finished fourth in the team standings with a total of 909, followed by Brigham Young-Hawaii (937), Hawaii Pacific (961) and Chaminade (1,049).

Abubo wins heat at Rip Curl Pro

Hawaii's Megan Abubo won her first-round heat yesterday to advance at the Rip Curl Women's Pro at Bells Beach, Australia.

Hawaii's Melanie Bartels also reached the third round of the meet, but was eliminated there, while Rochelle Ballard placed third in both her first- and second-round heats and was also eliminated.

Abubo scored 13.43 in the opening round to advance to the third round, where she will meet Amee Donohoe of Australia when the event resumes.

Bartels lost to Australia's Melanie Redman-Carr 10.56-8.34 in the third round.